Researchers at the University of Arizona are using a $10.4 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to study a new treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in people with Down syndrome.
About 50% of children with Down syndrome experience obstructive sleep apnea. That number is even higher for adults with the condition.
That’s often because people with Down syndrome have low muscle tone, according to Dr. Dan Combs, associate professor of pediatrics at the UA College of Medicine in Tucson.
“The problem with that is if you start off relaxed, when you fall asleep, your muscles get more relaxed and so if you go from relaxed to very relaxed, you can have spontaneous collapse of your airway," Combs said.
That's harder to treat than a case caused by something else, like enlarged tonsils. Combs' research team is testing the effectiveness of ato-oxy, a combination of two different medications for patients with low muscle tone.
“Atomoxetine — that’s an ADHD medication. Oxybutynin is usually used for overactive bladder," Combs said. "They both have the happy side effect of they increase your muscle tone while you’re asleep.”
Combs said getting rid of sleep apnea can improve the cognitive abilities of children with Down syndrome.
"In kids with Down syndrome, kids with obstructive sleep apnea had an IQ of about seven points lower than kids who didn't have obstructive sleep apnea," Combs said. "If your average IQ is about 43, that seven points is a very meaningful difference."
Combs said it could be the difference between someone who needs a lot of support as an adult versus someone who works and is much more independent.
The study will also test the effectiveness of oxygen for Down syndrome patients whose obstructive sleep apnea is not caused by low muscle tone.
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